Towns and villages across the Isle of Wight will soon have named, dedicated Police officers and PCSOs in what is being hailed as the return of the local bobby on the beat.
Although Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary already has a number of dedicated individuals in communities, ensuring the public know who they are and how to get hold of them will now become a priority.
Donna Jones, Police & Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and Isle of Wight, has announced that the first of these named officers will be in place by April next year.
The Commissioner is working with the new Chief Constable Scott Chilton on these plans. He takes office on 23rd February.
Speaking about her plans for the return of the local bobbie, Commissioner Donna Jones has said:
“I have spent the last 18 months as your police commissioner listening, learning and talking to thousands of people. I was convinced very quickly that bringing back local named police officers to serve you and your communities was the right thing to do.
“Since then, I’ve been working on finding the money to pay for more police officers and been successful in doing that; by the end of next month 600 extra police officers will have already been recruited – 100 more than our national target, and 2 weeks ago I announced another 50 new officers on top of that to be recruited over the next year. Next year I hope to do the same.
“Now is the time to again make clear I am committed to giving the public what they want & need; a stronger relationship with their local police force and to feel safe in their communities.”
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What a load of rubbish. No new officers on the island and with a force of 9 we most certainly will not see any beat bobbies over here. More of Jones’ lies.
What utter crap i suggest you check your figures what is the purpose of telling lies?
What lies are those Rob? Like the lie that we got two new dedicated traffic officers when in fact they were already working here in the armed response unit and were simply transferred? Like the lies that Jones has done anything whatsoever for policing on the island?
Well said Paul, we’ve more chance of seeing unicorns and pink elephants playing cards together, than seeing bobbies on the beat !!!!!!
Even IF we get any new officers they will likely be the useless PCSO’s who even children disrespect knowing they are even more ‘toothless’ than the weak, powerless, over scrutinised real Police officers.
Courts CAN’T back up the Police if arresting most as our prisons are full to bursting with imported low life, so unless our own commit even worse crimes than they, then no one goes to jail, and the kids, youth and adult criminally minded know this, as do the Police, so the will is no longer there to bother going through the long process of arrest, all for nothing
Wasn’t Brexit supposed to fix that?
April next year? Not long to wait then!
Its just another ploy to justify the tax increase they keep talking from real working people to feed them selves.
The announcement is a blanket covering of Hants & Isle of Wight. I would like to know how many ‘local bobbies’ will be on the Island and where.
Not enough that much you can be certain of.
Absolutely zero.
This is the problem being merged with Hampshire, we should stay separate as we are separate the expensive piece of water is proof.
You know the Isle of wight was merged into Hampshire constabulary in 1948, right?
Oh no the keyboard warrior has found google in order to grab the narrative!
Wonder how long until Donna pleads poverty and pulls them off the streets again.
I will believe it when I see it !!!!!
Can’t believe this is actually going to be ‘Bobbies’ walking the beat in towns and villages.
How does it take more than 14mths ?, Alot of crime and Antisocial behaviour before then. Why are most of officers I come across on the Island from Mainland having to cover for lack of dedicated Island Officers?. Another bad move in past to join Hampshire and not just use when needed , Local is best
This is rearranging the deckchairs to the detriment of the ship.
There are no new officers, and will be too few in the future, to make good on this.
What will happen is we will have fewer police in cars ready to respond to incidents because they will all be trudging around on foot
The upshot will be that you will be even less likely to see a timely police response when you call 999 than you are now.
This has more to do with giving the public a false sense of security than effective policing. In other words it’s a political move to keep the curtain twitchers happy.
Freshwater needs all 9 to sort the feral ‘little darlings’!
Right! I see young people at the bus and I get so scared. Why can’t they be sent somewhere else!
The first one in a year’s time. the second one in two years’ time?
I wish they would bring back Police on Motorbikes keeping the roads safe.
So many accidents, so many speeding drivers the roads here as so dangerous now.
Love to see Police walking around.
Maybe a small place in Newport for instance where they are based during the day while they are in the area. Much less intimidating than going to a Police station if you have something important to say.
Its just a wish list.
So, Donna ‘claims’ that they have recruited 100 more Officers than their target…
However, it will be more than a year before the first new ‘beat Bobby’ is seen on the Island, and another year after that before we get a second?!
Methinks something doesn’t quite ring true here!
Why April next year, the are needed now with the amount of street crime being delved out by some people.
Is it Re election time ?? The spin makers are working overtime right now .. believe it at your peril .. just regurgitated false stories ..
How many of these “local” officers will actually be living on the island rather than commuting here with all the costs that entails
I could tell you a few stories about local coppers and there not all good
We certainly need more police and local stations reopened. Increasing incidents are very concerning.cannot believe the number of Vehicle incidents every day
A ‘local Bobby’ does nothing to prevent car crashes, if you want less of them you need safer roads.